Generations of Men: Part 1
Generations of Men: Part 1 is the twentieth episode of Tech 10: Star Spirit, and the eighth episode of the second season. Episode to a dark, muddy planet far from earth. The planet is covered in a forested swamp and thick fog that seems almost impenetrable. Somewhere on the surface, a massive, earthen figure with several dimly glowing red eyes is sitting inside a cave, seemingly in a hibernation-like state. It had evidently been there for a while, as several vines were wrapped around its body. After a few moments focusing on the earthen figure, something enters the cave. The earthen figure’s eyes glowed brighter momentarily as it sensed the presence of something entering the cave. After a few moments of hearing footsteps, the intruder came into view, revealing itself to be a relatively large female alien with a stout body completely covered in armor. Two small fields of Dark Mana surrounded her hands, drawing in the fog and filtering it out into regular air. ???: “So, Prelude, this is where you went off to after you got out of the ice. Not much of a go-getter anymore, are ya?” Prelude: “Zetium. It’s been a while.” Zetium: “No kidding. What are you doing here of all places? Shouldn’t you be out building another criminal empire to collectively backstab at the last second or something?” Prelude: “My name, in case you haven’t noticed, is Prelude. That is all I am. I did what I had to to fulfill my purpose. Without that purpose, I am nothing.” Zetium: “Damn, and I thought Vilgax got less intimidating with age. You went from scary crime lord to an emo dirt lump on some swamp planet.” Prelude: “I doubt you would seek me out for the sole purpose of making smart remarks. What are you doing here?” Zetium: “Well, you just said you’re nothing without a purpose, right?” Prelude: “Correct.” Zetium: “Then I think my current employer has an offer you’re going to find pretty interesting.” ---- to where the last episode left off at Theo’s house, where Isaac and Moranna are speaking with him in the living room. Isaac: “What makes you think you can just go behind our backs and do whatever you want?!” Theo: “...The fact that I’ve been getting away with it since January?” Isaac’s eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. Theo: “Wrong answer?” Moranna: “Theodore, you can’t do whatever you want and expect to come out of it just fine. We have a lot more experience than you, and we’re not allowing you to do hero work for your own good.” Theo: “You two did hero work when you were teenagers!” Moranna: “I was highly-trained beforehand, and Isaac...ended up on the receiving end of a lot of things, actually. You don’t have that kind of training or experience.” Theo: “But I have been training! At the Plumber base! With Alpha! What more could I possibly be doing?!” Isaac: “Not throwing yourself out into danger, for one.” Theo: (Facepalms) “You gave me the StarTrix! Something specifically made for fighting! What in the ever-loving hell were you expecting?!” Isaac: “I gave that to you to use for self-defense! I have a lot of old enemies, and if any of them ever came looking to hurt you as revenge, you’d need some way to protect yourself!” Theo: “Oh, you mean like Prelude? Whose ass I totally kicked? Which is something you two were apparently never able to do?!” Isaac: “That isn’t-” Theo: “Or maybe Xenon? You know, the crab you couldn’t defeat now? The one I actually stopped, saved, and had put into a proper legal system?!” Moranna: “Theodore, calm down.” Theo: (Throws his hands into the air) “No! You two never listen to me! It’s always “oh, we can’t tell you anything, you couldn’t handle it” or “we can’t let you do anything, you couldn’t handle it”! Well, you know what? I’ve handled a lot more than you think! I defeated an immortal, time-stopping mana golem! I defeated a giant space zombie robot that was rampaging through downtown! I’ve defeated, on multiple occasions, an evil version of myself from another timeline who has the power to control time however he wants, whenever he wants, who is also a vampire now, by the way!” Isaac: “What was that last one?” Theo: (Ignoring him) “Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, I’ve also had to handle the stupid Delta Human thing! Thanks for that, by the way!” Isaac: “We talked that one out. I thought we had settled it.” Theo: “Oh, yeah, we definitely “settled” the super-important part of myself that you hid from me for my entire life! Fuck acknowledging that hiding it from me was actually wrong, noooo, a quick pep talk and a “lol whoops mah bad bro” will totally fix that whole mess!” Isaac: “I-” Theo: “You two are some of the most stubborn, close-minded people I’ve ever met! I’ve saved the city on multiple occasions! I’ve saved thousands of other people! I’ve saved you! But apparently, I’m just not good enough for you two to bother being actual parents!” Moranna: “Theodore, that’s not-” Theo: (Grabs the envelope out of his pocket and tosses it at Isaac) “One of your old friends, who I also didn’t know, for the record, said to give this to you. I’m out.” Before Isaac or Moranna could react, Final Countdown suddenly apparated from the StarTrix and disappeared, bringing Theo along with it. They stared in silence at the spot Theo had disappeared from for a few moments. Isaac: “...Well, shit.” Moranna: “What’s in that envelope?” Isaac picked up the envelope and took out the letter inside, skimming across it until he saw the signature near the bottom. Isaac: (Eyes widen) “...You have got to be kidding me.” ---- to a room the inside of a large alien library. The shelves covering the room are in immaculate condition, belying the fact that they haven’t seen the light of day in millions of years. There doesn’t appear to be any entrance or exit to the room, cutting it off from the outside world. A small, blue light of unknown origins shines from the top of the room, providing the room with a dim illumination. After a few moments, a portal swirling with Dark Mana opens, followed by Zetium and Prelude stepping into the room. Prelude: (Eyes narrow) “...I recognize this room. This is one of the hidden rooms of the Archives of Oberon.” (Turns to glare at Zetium) “How did you gain access to this place?” Zetium: (Closes the portal and shrugs) “It’s not like I brought myself here the first time.” Prelude: “What are you talking about?” The blue light of the room was suddenly extinguished, plunging the area into darkness. After a few moments, a white spotlight appeared, shining down from the center of the ceiling. The clean light illuminated a smooth, spiraling structure seemingly made of enlarged piano keys that had appeared in the center of the room. A cloud of dark smoke appeared at the top of the structure, swirling together and solidifying into a tall, pale woman with dark hair wearing a long, flowing black dress. She gracefully slid down the structure, causing it to play a soft melody as she went. Upon reaching the ground, she stood up, snapping her fingers and causing the room to return to normal. A blue rose appeared in her hands, followed by her taking a quick bow before standing up straight to face Prelude and Zetium. ???: “What do you think? I’ve been working on my entrances lately, and I believe that one was some of my best work yet.” Zetium: “We aren’t really qualified to judge theatrics, but I’d say it was fairly solid.” Prelude: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” ???: (Turns to face Prelude) “Blunt and to the point, aren’t you? Not that I would expect anything less from the first Animam Creari.” Prelude: “You know of me?” ???: “I know everything there is to know about Veritum. Its history, its inhabitants, its creator. They’re all very...fascinating? I’m not sure that’s the word I’m looking for. Anyways~!” The woman clapped her hands together, summoning a crystal ball that floated in the center of the room. ???: “To answer your first question, I’ve been called many names; mostly insults, come to think of it, but my actual name is Divara. As for why I’m here, well, that’s a longer story. Let’s just say I’ve taken a bit of an interest in your tragically deceased creator.” Prelude: “What do you know of the Entity?” Divara: “I know you’ve been wallowing in emptiness without him around to direct you. I’d like to make you an offer.” Prelude: “What could you possibly offer me?” Divara: “I’m a reality warper. Anything you want, really.” Prelude: “Bring back the Entity.” Divara: “Except that. The timeline’s so screwed up around that whole mess, you don’t even want to know what screwing with that would do.” Prelude: “Then there’s nothing you could offer me.” Divara: “Now hold on a moment. I can’t bring the exact same old Entity back; his base body was destroyed. But it’s not like the base made up the entirety of the thing. There was an entire human race in there. They were the ones piloting it.” Prelude: “What are you saying?” Divara: (Grins) “Sit down for a few minutes. This might take a while to explain.” ---- to a lake in the mountains surrounding the city and its suburbs. Theo is skipping rocks across the lake with an annoyed expression. Theo threw another rock across the lake, watching it skip across the serene water for a few moments before it finally sank. ???: “Not a bad throw for someone unable to instantly calculate trajectory.” Theo turned around to find a small, gray, frog-like humanoid alien with a large head walking up to him. Theo: “Who are you?” ???: “At this point, someone that’s really just given up on my Omnitrixes being used correctly. But most people simply refer to me as “Azmuth”.” Theo: (Eyes widen) “Azmuth? Like, the Azmuth?” Azmuth: (Rolls his eyes) “No, the other Azmuth that made one of the universe’s most sophisticated pieces of technology.” Theo: “What are you doing here?” Azmuth: “Nullamor is taking some sort of issue with some nanomachines, and it’s not as if anyone else has the expertise to help him. So, while I was in the planetary “neighborhood”, so to speak, I decided to stop by and see how the latest bastardization of my greatest creation was functioning.” Theo: (Holds up his left hand) “The StarTrix? It’s, uh, doing fine, I guess.” Azmuth: (Narrows his eyes) “Hm. It looks different from its original design.” Theo: “Long story. On the bright side, it doesn’t time out as much any more.” Azmuth: “You say that like it’s strictly a good thing. The timeout functions are there for a reason, you know.” Azmuth sighed and walked up to the edge of the lake, staring out over the water. Azmuth: “Frankly, all these Omnitrix knock-offs are rather annoying. It hasn’t been dangerous to have more than one Omnitrix since the prototype was destroyed, granted, but the generally shoddy worksmanship gets on my nerves.” Theo: “If it bothers you so much, why not just have them all trashed or something? You probably have the authority to do that.” Azmuth: “Yes, but at this point, it would just be petty. Besides, I have my own reasons for allowing them to stay around.” Theo: “Like what?” Azmuth stayed silent for a few moments before answering. Azmuth: “Tell me, do you know the original reason I made the Omnitrix?” Theo: “Not really, no.” Azmuth: “A long time ago, I created a powerful weapon. It was a marvel of engineering, but the end results of its existence were...catastrophic, on both a galactic and personal level. In an attempt to redeem myself, I created the Omnitrix. Its purpose was twofold: First and foremost, to allow the wearer to experience and understand the lives of other species in the most intimate way possible; walking a mile in their shoes, as it were. Second, it was able to give species that go or have gone extinct a second chance. It was supposed to be a tool of peace, not a weapon of war.” Azmuth hung his head in frustration for a moment before continuing. Azmuth: “But, even I must admit, these are troubling times. Sometimes, the only way to create peace is through fighting, as much as I wish that wasn’t the case.” Theo: “So...you let the knock-offs exist because you think they’re good for fighting?” Azmuth: “I think you’re missing the point, especially seeing as how I haven’t finished talking yet. Now, for an example of what I’m talking about, take your father’s Specialty Omnimatrix. Do you have any idea why I made that?” Theo: “Not exactly.” Azmuth: “I made it to experiment with DNA. I wanted to see how various effects such as evolution or fusion would affect the resulting transformation. There are still many things about genetics left to uncover, even for me, and the SpecTrix was supposed to help me uncover some of those mysteries. I have made some interesting discoveries with my own versions of the device, but, of course, most of those who know about it associate it with your father’s versions and his battle tactics.” Theo: “I’m not sure I follow whatever point you’re trying to make here.” Azmuth: “The point ''is, even though these knock-offs may be mostly known for or intended for fighting, as long as they’re able to fulfill the Omnitrix’s first and most important purpose, ''transformation, they still hold some value to them as tools of peace. Shoddy or not, they do enable those who wield them to experience life as another being entirely, and I’ve come to believe that there’s enough value in that to allow them to exist.” Theo: “I guess that makes sense.” Azmuth: “Now...” (Turns to point at Theo) “What exactly are you doing in the mountains in the middle of the night?” Theo: “Hm? Oh, I’m just...having some trouble with my parents. They don’t think I can “handle” all this hero stuff. Even though I’ve been handling it for months...” Theo picked up another rock and threw it out across the lake, skipping it a few times before it sank. Theo: “They don’t even trust me enough to tell me anything about their past! If it was, like, everybody deciding that it’s not something they should tell me about, it wouldn’t even bother me so much, but at this point, it seems like my parents are the only ones that don’t believe in me! I just...ugh, sorry. You probably don’t really care about family issues.” Azmuth: “I don’t, but as someone who was actually there when everything went down, I believe trying to keep it all a secret is frankly idiotic.” Theo: “Do you think there’s anything I can do about it?” Azmuth: “Probably. I’m not exactly a relationship expert, however, so I think I’m going to take my leave.” Azmuth pulled out a small device with a red button on it, pressing the button and teleporting away. Theo looked at the spot he had teleported away from for a few moments before sighing and turning back to the lake. Theo: “This is going to end all sorts of well.” ---- to morning at the Logical household. Isaac and Moranna are sitting in the kitchen discussing what to do about the current situation, when Theo suddenly teleports in with Final Countdown, which dissipates into the StarTrix. Isaac: “Theodore! Where have you been?!” Theo: (Stretches his arms) “I slept up in the mountains. Surprisingly comfortable. Well, for someone like me.” Isaac: (Sighs) “Look, Theodore, I’m sorry. We were in the wrong for keeping that from you.” Theo: (Annoyed) “That doesn’t mean much when you acknowledge it only after I call you out on it.” Isaac: “You’re upset. I get it. We screwed up. But you have to understand that we only want the best for you.” Theo: “And you couldn’t be bothered to figure out how to go about that without lying and hiding things from me?” Isaac: “Sometimes you have to lie to keep people safe.” Theo: (Rolls his eyes) “Yeah. Sure.” Isaac: “Now, I’ve read over the letter you gave me, and, well...let’s just say I wasn’t really expecting any of it.” Theo: “What does it say?” Isaac: “Well, a lot of things, really, but the main things that matters here is that it proposes a way to settle our issues regarding your hero work once and for all.” Theo: “Which would be?” Isaac: “That’s the part I’m kinda skeptical about. Basically, it says we should have a sparring match.” Theo: “...What?” Isaac: “That was my initial reaction too. The idea is that if you can beat me in a one-on-one match, then no matter how much I might not like it, I won’t really have any good reasons to keep you from going off and fighting villains.” Theo: “Wait, so this is a chance to actually prove once and for all that I can handle myself? Sounds good to me.” Isaac: “Hold on a second. Just so we’re clear, if we do this, I’m not going to just let you win by any means. I can deal a lot of damage, so are you absolutely sure you want to fight me?” Theo: (Confidently) “Tch, you kidding? I could take you on any day.” ---- to Plumber Base UT1, where Alpha is manning the computers as the Alpha Team is chatting amongst themselves. The platform elevator suddenly activates and lowers to their current floor, bringing with a it a very flustered-looking Theo. Theo: (Mildly panicked) “Guys, I think I screwed up!” Nova: “What happened? Did Aeron get away again?” Theo: “No! Well, yes, and also he’s a vampire now, but that’s not what I’m talking about!” Nova: “He’s a what now?” Alpha: (Turns to look at Theo) “Then what’s the issue?” Theo: “I’m going to fight my dad!” There were a few moments of silence as everyone else in the room stared at Theo in confusion. Alpha: “...Excuse me?” Theo: “Okay, so, basically, the deal is, if I can beat him in a sparring match, I can hop timelines and do whatever without him getting on my case, which is all well and good, except for the fact that my dad is overpowered as hell!” Herc: “Howso? I only met him once, and the most impressive thing he did then was wreck a library.” Theo: “His aliens are insane! I don’t have the slightest idea of how I’m going to counter something like Electrolite, and Rockoustic can split a mountain in half without cracking a sweat! Alpha, you know how powerful he is, right?!” Alpha: “Well, I did fight him once, so yes.” Reaper: “I actually fought him a couple of times as well. The first time wasn’t that big of an issue, but the second time did not end well for me. Considering how long its been since then, he’s probably even more dangerous to fight.” Alpha: “Listen, Theodore, your father is strong, but he’s not untouchable. He’s sort of like a fish out water with a grenade launcher; he may have a lot of offensive potential, but his fighting style mostly consists of flinging himself around wildly.” Theo: “...You lost me at the fish part.” Reaper: “More to the point, your father has a lot of power, but he counts on it too much; he doesn’t really plan things out. Your best bet is to have some sort of trump card hidden up your sleeve.” Theo: “Well, I have a few things that could count for that, but I don’t know if any of them are strong enough to beat my dad.” Alpha: “Hm. Well, as much as I hate to put the suggestion forward, there is always one person that could help you with that.” Theo: “Who would that be?” ---- to the inside of a small shop located in a run-down, industrial part of the city. The front room is unusually clean for the area, with a well-swept checkered floor and clean white walls. Theo walks in the front door, causing the bell on top of it to emit a small ‘ting’. After a few moments, a ruffling of papers can be heard from the back room, and a small, orange alien walks out to the front. Nullamor: “Ah, Theodore Logical! What can I help you with?” Theo: “Uh, sort of a long story behind this, but basically, I need to fight my dad. You got anything that could help with that?” Nullamor: (Stares into the distance) “I always knew this day would come. Mostly because I’m psychic, but also because your dad is predictable.” (Looks back at Theo) “Stay there for a moment. I’ll be right back.” Nullamor ran into the back of the shop, returning just a few seconds later holding a DNA Card. Theo: “Man, you weren’t kidding.” Nullamor: “Super speed. It’s handy. Anyways, your biggest concerns are Electrolite and Rockoustic, right?” Theo: “How did yo-” Nullamor: “Psychic. Anyways, you’ve already got all you need to take down Electrolite, whether you know it or not, but this here DNA Card should be a perfect counter for Rockoustic.” Nullamor replaced one of the DNA Cards in the Star Driver Gauntlet with the one he was carrying. The gauntlet beeped momentarily in response. Nullamor: “Alright, now that this card is registered to the gauntlet, you’ll be able to swap it out at will like your other cards. Any questions?” Theo: “Uh, yeah. What is it?” Nullamor: “Well, you’re just gonna have to find out, aren’t you?” ---- to a plain in the mountains surrounding the main city. Prelude and Zetium emerge into the grassy field through a portal that promptly closes behind them. Prelude: “I don’t approve of this plan.” Zetium: “So what? You ain’t the boss anymore.” Zetium raised her arms out in front of her, her eyes glowing with mana. After a few moments, she put her arms down, the glow fading from her eyes. Zetium: “Yep, the kid’s here alright. Now we just gotta wait.” Prelude: “I do not fully trust this “Divara”. She seems far too caught up in her own eccentricities.” Zetium: “Because you’re just a pillar of truth and honesty, huh?” Prelude only grunted in response, looking out over the horizon. A slight breeze began to blow past the two, causing the tall grass they were standing in to blow in the wind. Zetium: “Say what you want about Earth being so backwards technology-wise, but at least the planet itself is nice. It has a good connection to mana.” Prelude: “Which is only useful if you can use mana. My Dark Mana has no place on this Earth.” Zetium: (Rolls her eyes) “Well, aren’t you just a bright ray of sunshine.” ---- to the inside of Rozalio Gold’s library, where Rozalio himself is reading through a book with silver trim around the front. Undead Ed is sorting books nearby, attempting to put them in their proper shelves. Ed: “Say, ah know ah ain’t an expert on magic doohickeys and what not, but ain’t there some way fer ya ta’ do this sortin’ auto-matically?” Rozalio: (Half-listening) “Probably. I suppose I should look into that.” After a few moments, a portal suddenly ripped open in the middle of the library, followed by Theo as Final Countdown stepping out of it and closing it behind him before detransforming. Rozalio: (Looks up from his book) “Ah, Mr. Logical, perfect timing. There’s something I need to ask you.” Theo: “Oh, uh-” Rozalio suddenly apparated next to Theo in a cloud of smoke, still holding the book. He pointed out a picture of a stone mask on one of the book’s pages. Rozalio: “This might be a bit of an out-of-nowhere question, but do you recognize this mask from anywhere?” Theo: (Looks at the page) “Uh...yeah, actually. That’s the mask Orion wears for whatever reason.” Rozalio: “Orion?” Theo: “Annoying buff dude. You wouldn’t know him.” Rozalio: “...I see.” Theo: “Why? Is there something special about that mask?” Rozalio: “That is the Mask of Simul, originally created during a conflict with Anodites that happened...oh, one thousand years ago? Two thousand? Somewhere earlier? Not sure, to be honest. Anyways, it’s an ancient magical artifact that allows the user to absorb any energy in the area and infuse it into themselves. The Anodites were the ones who made it, but a human eventually got their hands on it and was able to use it against them.” Theo: “Wait, Anodites? Like the magical energy beings made of mana? What caused the conflict with them?” Rozalio: “They kept coming to Earth and doing whatever they wanted, most of which consisted of deadly “pranks” on humans, since it amused them. Needless to say, people didn’t like that very much.” Theo: (Skeptically) “And that mask allowed them to win against super-powerful energy beings?” Rozalio: “The mask was only a small part of the eventual victory. The event that really turned the tides was the creation of vampires, actually.” Theo: “Vampires?” Rozalio: “Right. The first vampires were intentionally created by humans to be predators of the Anodites. Their nearly invincible nature and, of course, the fact that they feed on life energy, also known as Mana, made vampires the perfect counter against them. Unfortunately, the humans didn’t really consider what would happen once the vampires won and ran out of Anodites to drain energy from. Thus began the long and bloody history of vampires feeding on humans and being hunted by them in turn.” Theo: “Yeesh.” Rozalio: “”Yeesh” indeed. Fortunately, the whole situation has been mostly settled nowadays, so there’s not much to worry about.” Theo: “Oh, right, I forgot to ask. What time period is this?” Rozalio: “About the turn of the twentieth century, I believe. I hear “skateboards” and “frosted tips” are all the rage in the Americas nowadays, but since I live in the middle of nowhere, I don’t really keep up with modern trends and technology.” Theo: “...That may be for the best. Anyways, why did you ask me about the mask?” Rozalio: (Puts away his book) “It disappeared from my timeline a while ago. After a fair amount of research, I tracked it down to yours. Now, I assume you came here for a reason. Do you want to start your magic training now?” Theo: “Well, sort of. I sorta agreed to fight someone I might have a bit of an issue beating. Are there any super-beginner level spells I could learn in like an hour or something? I just need the element of surprise.” Rozalio: (Put his hand to his chin in thought) “Hm. Well, under normal circumstances, no, at least if you don’t want to carry around a spellbook. Fortunately for you, you have an extremely high magic potential. You should be able to learn at least one spell, though you won’t have the time to perfect it by any means.” Theo: “Doesn’t need to be perfect. What spells do I have to choose from?” Rozalio: “Hold that thought.” Rozalio floated into the air, levitating over to a shelf across the room halfway up the wall. After picking through books for a few moments, he pulled one out and brought it over to Theo. The book was primarily white with gold trim, and the cover read “Magica de Stella” in a fancy golden font. Theo: “”Stellar Magic”?” Rozalio: “Magic of the Stars, actually. Nowadays we just call it Celestial Magic for simplicity’s sake.” Theo: “Right. So, what does Celestial Magic do?” Rozalio: “Lots of things. Pretty much anything relating to celestial bodies, holiness, and light. The ultimate form of Celestial Magic is supposedly the ability to assume an Ascendant form and become a god, but since my particular area of talent is Electric Magic, I wouldn’t personally know.” Theo: “Do you have the “ultimate form” of Electric Magic?” Rozalio: “As a matter of fact, yes. I tend not to use it because it’s wild, destructive, and unpredictable, but in an emergency, I do have access to it. Now, as for a spell for you to learn, simply select the one that resonates with you most.” (Hands Theo the Magica de Stella) “The basic ones are at the beginning of the book.” Theo opened the book, immediately being confronted by a series of different spells that had a variety of effects. Theo: “These are the basic spells?!” Rozalio: (Nods) “Celestial Magic is powerful, but there’s quite a learning curve to it.” Theo: “No kidding.” Theo’s eyes scanned the pages of the book, eventually being drawn to one spell in particular at the top right corner. Theo: (Points the spell out) “Uh, this one...I think. Whatever it is. Why is everything in Latin?” Rozalio: “Latin is just the original language the spells were written in. Really, their English names would work just as well if they were to be translated out, but nobody really has the time for that.” Theo: “Oh. Well, this one is called, uh...”Sanctus Pugionibus”.” Rozalio: (Raises an eyebrow) “Interesting.” Theo: “Why? What is it?” Rozalio: “In English, it means “Holy Daggers”. It summons a collection of daggers made of light that shoot towards your target.” Theo: “That...sounds awesome! How do I do it?” Rozalio: “Come into the courtyard with me. I have a practice range set up where you can learn to use it.” Theo: (Grins) “Sounds good.” ---- to the courtyard outside of Rozalio’s castle. Undead Ed is tending to the various hedges surrounding the area as Theo and Rozalio enter a large, open area with targets located on the side opposite the entrance. Rozalio’s skin is sparkling in the daylight thanks to the effects of his refraction spell. Theo: “Hey, there’s something that’s been bugging me about the refraction spell you said you cast on yourself.” Rozalio: “What about it?” Theo: “You said it refracts light around your skin, right? Wouldn’t that make you pretty much invisible?” Rozalio: “I should have been more specific. It refracts UV light specifically, which is the variation harmful to vampires.” Theo: “Couldn’t you just block the UV light with sunscreen or something?” Rozalio: “You try having grease all over your body twenty-four seven. It’s not pleasant.” Theo: “Point taken.” Rozalio pointed at one of the targets at the other end of the range. Rozalio: “You see that target in the middle? That’s what you’ll be aiming for.” Theo: (Nods) “Alright. What do I do?” Rozalio: “First thing you’re going to want do is assume a wide stance. It’s not entirely necessary, but it will help you focus.” Theo spread out his stance, planting his feet firmly to the ground. Theo: “Okay, what now?” Rozalio: “This next step is the most difficult for beginners. You must evaluate the life energy running through your body and fully realize it as a source of power. Connect to the mana running through your veins. Only then will you be able to use magic.” Theo: “Uh...what?” Rozalio: “I can demonstrate what it will look like, if being able to visualize it will help.” Theo: “That might be a good idea.” Rozalio took a deep breath, holding his eyes closed for a few moments. An electric golden aura sprung to life around his body, causing his hair to flow as if it was caught in the wind. Rozalio: “This is what will happen when you form a connection to your mana. Of course, mine only has such a unique appearance thanks to my mastery over electric magic. Your aura will likely be colorless, appearing more as a distortion of the air around you than anything.” Theo: “Wait, that happens every time you want to cast a spell?” Rozalio: (Aura fading) “Of course not. It will only happen when you force your mana to make itself obvious. After the initial connection, you will be able to cast spells at your own convenience.” Theo: “Huh. Okay, I’ll give it a try.” Theo took a deep breath and closed his eyes, assuming a meditative expression. Rozalio: “Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get it on the first try. It can take even the most skilled of magic users weeks to-” The air around Theo suddenly distorted as an aura appeared around him, blowing through his hair like a swift breeze. Theo: “Okay, done. Now what?” Rozalio: “Hm. Some argue that there’s much to be said for innate talent, but even so, that was ridiculous.” Theo: “Oh.” Rozalio: “Of course, you certainly don’t seem to be an energy being of any sort. Are you fully human?” Theo: “Actually, I’m partially something called a Delta Human.” Rozalio: (Raises an eyebrow) “Delta Human?” Theo: “Long story. They could basically do everything humans can do, but better.” Rozalio: "...I suppose that might explain it." Theo: "Is something wrong?" Rozalio: "Forming a connection with mana so quickly isn't necessarily a good thing. Keep an eye out for any odd side effects." Theo: "Uh...okay." Rozalio: “Moving on, now that you have that connection with your mana, you need to allow it to flow and form outside of your body.” Theo: “Alrighty.” Theo stretched out his arms in front of him, assuming an intense, focused expression. He stood there for a few moments, seemingly trying to push some invisible force, his arms visibly shaking. Rozalio: “No, no, you can’t force it out. That’s like punching yourself in your face and expecting to hit your opponent. You need to let the mana work as an extension of you, not as an opposing force you must conquer and control.” Theo: “Okay. Let me try that again.” Theo relaxed his posture a bit, focusing less on himself and more on the target he was supposed to hit. His hands began glowing with a white light as he slowly gained control over his mana. Rozalio: “Good job. Now all you need to do is recite the spell you want to use.” Theo: “I just...say it?” Rozalio: “Sort of. You also have to envision the spell in your mind as you’re saying it.” Theo: “Got it.” Theo took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself to perform the spell. Theo: “Holy Daggers!” A small circle of glowing white runes appeared in front of Theo’s hands, shooting a small, disorganized barrage of light daggers in the target’s general direction. Most of the daggers missed their target, landing off to the side, but a few in the center of the attack managed to hit the target dead-on, embedding themselves in the wood. Rozalio: “Congratulations. You just performed your first magic spell.” Theo: “Damn. Thanks, but, uh...it’s gonna be more organized than that in the future, right?” Rozalio: (Grins) “All you have to do is practice.” ---- to the inside of Plumber Base UT1. Pyros, F3, and Reaper are talking about various things as Herc is speaking with Alpha. Nova is no longer in the building. Herc: “I’m just not sure letting Nova go to watch the fight was a good idea.” Alpha: “And if the fight gets out of hand, who else do you expect to break it up? You?” Herc: “...Good point.” The base’s alert system suddenly started blaring, prompting Alpha to swiftly turn back to the monitor. The rest of the Alpha Team ran over to her and Herc, trying to see what was happening. Alpha: “You have got to be kidding me.” F3: “What’s going on? More Zodiac Organization stuff?” Alpha: “I wish. Prelude’s back on Earth.” Reaper: (Tenses up) “Prelude? The Animam Creari?” Alpha: (Turns to Reaper) “You know him?” Reaper: “We have...unfinished business, to say the least.” Alpha: “...I see. Well, perhaps this is your chance to settle it. Everyone, suit up. We need to apprehend him as quickly as possible.” Herc: (Nods) “Right.” The team swiftly moved into action, leaving Alpha alone to stare at the monitor. Alpha: “...I have a bad feeling about this.” ---- to a large, wide-open field covered in semi-tall grass a good few miles away from the city. Isaac and Theo are standing about ten meters away from each other, each carefully eying the other down. Moranna and Nova are standing off to the side, prepared to observe the odd battle about to take place. Before anyone can say anything, an orange and white blur suddenly runs into the area, stopping next to Nova to reveal itself as Xr. Nullamor. Nova: (Surprised) “What the-hey, you’re that Nullamor guy, right? What are you doing here?” Nullamor: “You kidding? I wouldn’t miss this fight for the world! Granted, I guess it depends on which world, but certainly not this one.” Moranna: “I just can’t believe Isaac thought this was a good idea.” Nova: “Couldn’t you have stopped him?” Moranna: “I’m his wife, not his babysitter. I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand, but this is something he and Theodore need to resolve. I’m involved, obviously, but Isaac’s always had the stronger opinion on the issue.” Nova: “Hm.” Nullamor: “Personally, I’m just here for the chaos. This is gonna be amazing!” After the three stopped talking, Isaac and Theo glanced at them for a moment before looking back at each other. Isaac: “Are you ready to start?” Theo: (Mockingly puts his hand up to his ear) “Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of how much I’m going to kick your butt.” Isaac: (Glares and pulls up the SpecTrix) “I’ll take that as a yes.” Nova: “Yeesh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Theo this passive-aggressive.” Nullamor: “He’s probably got a lot of pent-up emotion about all this. It’s only natural.” Isaac slammed down on the SpecTrix dial, transforming into an alien made of sand with drills mounted on its arms and burrowing underground. Theo’s only response was to flop backwards onto the ground and lie perfectly still. Nova: “What the hell is he doing?! Mr. Logical’s probably going right for him from underground!” Nullamor: “Wait for it...” After a few moments, Move Along suddenly manifested from the StarTrix and hit the ground a few meters away from Theo with a Spin Punch. The blow blew the ground apart, spiraling chunks of earth launching into the air and bringing with them large amount of sand. Isaac’s sand alien was forced to reform, pulling himself together above ground and jumping out of the spin’s range. Nova: “Woah! Since when can Theo summon Projection Transformations without activating the StarTrix?!” Nullamor: (Narrows his eye) “I’m just sounding like a broken record at this point, but those damn nanomachines probably have something to do with it.” Nova: (Jokingly) “Yes, but can they melt steel beams?” Nullamor: “Bite me kid, you know what I’m talking about.” While this conversation had been going on, Sandrill had stepped back to eye down Move Along, trying to think of a way to attack without going back underground. Theo: “Good luck trying to burrow with Move Along around.” Isaac/Sandrill: “Fine. I don’t need to burrow anyways. I have drills for hands!” Theo: “True.” Move Along disappeared in a flash of blue energy as Theo pulled up the StarTrix and activated it, transforming into Kugelblitz, who struck a wide-spread pose. Kugelblitz: “Go on; drill away!” ---- to the mountain field where Prelude and Zetium are impatiently waiting for something. After a few minutes, the Alpha Team suddenly climb into the area via a nearby hill. Prelude and Zetium look at the new arrivals skeptically. Prelude: “Who are you supposed to be?” Herc: “Special Plumber Team. We’re here to take you in.” Prelude: “You’re out of your league, Grikonian. Your species can’t manipulate mana.” Herc: “To be fair, neither can anyone else on the team.” Zetium: “That does not count as a positive here.” Herc opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Reaper placing his hand on his shoulder, gesturing for him to step back. Herc: “What are you doing?” Reaper: “Let me handle Prelude. You three can get whoever the other one is.” Zetium: “Zetium.” Reaper: “I don’t care. I’m the only one that can fight a being of pure mana. You three should be able to handle someone that isn’t.” Pyros: “Uh, ya sure that’s a good idea, dude?” Reaper: “You can always heal me after the fact. I have something personal I need to settle.” Pyros: “I can’t heal ya back from the dead!” (Pauses) “I think.” Reaper ignored him and stepped closer to Prelude, staring up at him with an expression unreadable behind his skull-shaped mask and cloak. Prelude: “Interesting. Your mana signature is admittedly familiar, yet somehow different, like a house that’s had its furniture rearranged. Who are you?” Reaper: “I have been known as many things.” Zetium: (Rolls her eyes) “Oh boy, here we go again.” Reaper: (Ignoring her) “But you would not know me as I am now. My codename is Reaper. My true name, a relic of a bygone age. But you would only know me by the name of a dead man. A man cast into disgrace and insanity by the mad machinations of your master.” Reaper reached up and grabbed his mask and cloak, tearing them off and throwing them to the ground. He was revealed to be a brown-skinned Egyptian man that seemed to be in his late thirties, with messy black hair and brown eyes full of anger and a hint of regret. He wore simple golden armor across his torso, forearms, and calves, and carried two odd, curved swords sheathed on his back. Reaper: “To you, I was known as the fallen king of Egypt! The man known...as Dethrouge!” There were a few moments of stunned silence. F3: “Uh...who?” Major Events *Zetium makes her Star Spirit debut. *The Archives of Oberon make their Star Spirit debut. *The "mysterious figure" from previous episodes is introduced as the reality warper Divara. *Prelude and Zetium agree to work for Divara for unknown reasons. *Azmuth makes his Star Spirit debut and reveals the reason he lets more than one Omnitrix exist. *Theo receives an unknown alien from Xr. Nullamor. *Rozalio teaches Theo his first magic spell, Holy Daggers. *Theo and Isaac begin a sparring match to determine Theo's ultimate fate regarding hero work. *Reaper's true identity is revealed to be an inexplicably alive Dethrouge. Characters Protagonists *Theodore Logical *Nova Eldridge *Herc *Pyros *F3 *Reaper Neutral *Isaac Logical *Moranna Ceres *Divara Antagonists *Prelude *Zetium Minor *Alpha *Rozalio Gold *Undead Ed Aliens Used By Theo *Final Countdown (x3) *Move Along *Kugelblitz By Isaac *Sandrill Category:Earth-83